One Little Hour
by Koren Steen
Summary: And in it were not-so-little events. After the catnap, many more things ensued. The door was of no help. INTERQUEL


**AN:** _Longest. Fic. Ever._ Originally created as a prologue for the chaptered fanfiction I was working on. Instead, it became a _very_ _long_ interquel of fantastic proportions. It's unusually long for me even for this oneshot. I'd recommend you read the amateur and lazily written first fanfic "One Little Catnap" to get what happened here, unless you already had. I still think this one is also amateur written. I'm feeling weird for this one having too interactive a narration. Storytelling in the second person and all that.

Why it's an interquel? Well...find out. I'm not good at explaining.

I should warn you that it contains certain situations that suggest—well, I wouldn't say "mature suggestions" because I'd let kids read this too but I'm going to rate this fic higher so I can follow the guidelines and not get in trouble here. /irrelevance

ooOoo

**One Little Hour**

It was a beautiful, beautiful night. The moon was out, the stars were shining and..._nightly_ activities were taking place somewhere in the seediest parts of the world whose countries are currently in the dark side of the earth.

Speaking of nightly activities, the endless daytime Cat Kingdom was having one of these as well and if you've remembered where we left in the middle of our last story, what will happen right here, right now would be pretty straightforward to you.

ooOoo

"Oh man, that was awesome babe," the hairy monarch expressed in laid-back delight.

Lying on his bed, he was still remembering the ecstasy that he had experienced. The curtains covered the windows which made the room itself look dark and was in great contrast with the always sun-shining mood that was supposed to light-up the room for the Cat Kingdom had never changed its time of day. The only light currently aglow inside is the—you've guessed it—half-closed door. Seriously, no one bothered to check on that.

"Y-yes, sire..." Another cat in the room was kind of jittery, however. "That was indeed...uh, w-what you just said...Indeed." For now, he could not talk straight.

In the same room, he was standing while he frantically put his robe back on. He was fixing himself up, putting on his glasses and brushing his fur. From head to toe, he was still shaking. Running in his mind, he kept saying to himself that he could not believe what he just did.

"Oh dear..." He could not help shaking his head in dismay.

Seeing how Natori was feeling sort of unsettled of the situation, the Cat King got out of his bed and tried to console him in his own special way.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad." He placed a paw on the elderly cat's shoulder. "It's not like it's your first time, right?"

That question did not help. His ears jolted as a sole reaction but his face remained expressionless.

"I don't know how to respond to that, sire..." In short, he was speechless if his statement of unknown response didn't count.

"Hahaha! I understand. You don't have to tell me everything." The Cat King patted the worried advisor's back trying to cheer him up.

Natori stayed silent for a while, until he suddenly remembered what he came here for after he had set his mind straight again. The king was supposed to go somewhere and he was to remind him of it. Where was it again, now... Where...?

"Wait...The party!" It was then he quickly got up on his legs and he turned to the king. "Your Majesty... we've been here for too long! We're missing the-"

"Shh, shh, shhhh!" He put up a paw to the cat's mouth. "Calm down babe, I haven't forgotten," he reminded. "And besides, who am I to let a good party pass by, huh?"

"So, you're going to go down, now?" he asked, mumbling from the Cat King's mandatory hush.

"Oh _sure_, the party must've been very boring without I, the Cat King, to entertain it."

"Of...course..." The advisor thought of making a snarky response to that but was in no time to think of a funny enough phrase to do so.

"...Lead the way, sire?"

"Oh yeah, time for partyin'!" While doing the funky chicken, he waltzed to the door while his advisor followed from behind.

When he finally arrived there, he suddenly noticed something not right about it. The door was...—well, need not to say it because it's been a running commotion throughout the scene from whence it started. It's relieving that one of them, at last, has noticed it.

"Um, Natori?" He turned around to look at the advisor. "Who came through this door last?"

"What ever do you mean, sire?" He tried to find out what the question was all about.

Then he noticed the light from the hall that shone from the open entrance. Not very open, but its size could possibly still fit ones eye for someone to peep on it.

Not too long, Natori realized that he had made a huge mistake.

"Oh my...I thought-"

"You thought!?" This was when the Cat King has exhibited his loud but unsurprisingly common outbursts. "Haven't you heard of double checking!?" He started to claw on him, only barely missing his whiskers.

"I-I'm sorry, I forgot," Terrified, Natori stepped back as the Cat King started to close on him, trying to prevent himself from being shred to pieces. "Please, have mercy!"

But the king was still too enraged.

"I could not let a stupid mistake by a fool pass on," he hissed. "Even if that fool who made it was to be my friend." Angry and hacked off, he continued to step closer to the quivering old cat.

Then suddenly, he stopped on his tracks and the tone of his voice changed. "Then again, in value of our friendship, I shouldn't think of punishing you _too _severely now, should I?" It was to a less threatening circumstance, arguably.

But, this has not made Natori less than scared. Only such times has he heard the king talk that way. Who knew being in the middle of it, especially as the one being talked to, would be this terrifying.

Natori had no choice and he was feeling defenseless. He realized that he may not come out of here, unscathed. He prepared for the worst.

"Do with me what you wish, sire." He got down on his knees and set his head lowered on the floor, giving in to whatever kind of sentence he must face. "One request?" He looked up to the king, "Do it quickly, please..." and he quickly reverted back to his position.

The Cat King had never doubted his advisor's unusually extreme loyalty. He was willing to do anything for him. He already lied down beside him in his bed and Natori was just there to let whatever happen, happened. That was when he started to feel some sort of sympathy for him. A stupid thing he did, yes but it's not worthy of a very cruel punishment to waste on someone, right? In fact, he never actually implied from the start that he was going to snuff the advisor out or anything of the sort. He had another thing in mind.

He forced the gray cat's head to look him in the eyes by grabbing his head up with his own claw, though he made sure he wasn't impaling on the advisor's skin.

"Why are you in that weird position, huh?" he asked of him bitingly.

Natori's eyes were about to shed a tear and a good amount of it was gathering in his eyes. "I...I'm just making this easy for you, Your Majesty." He rubbed his eyes with an overly long sleeve that constantly dangled from his outfit. "I've already placed myself in my most vulnerable position yet."

He guessed that Natori thought that he was going to execute him. That's a bit dark to think of the Cat King doing something like that to a friend. Why would his advisor put that in mind? No matter, he just shrugged it off.

"'Most vulnerable position'?" he repeated with a mocking reprise. "For me, it doesn't look like it at all. But since you seem to be so accepting of what's coming to you, I have no choice but to order you one last time since I don't have much time to be the Cat King nor were you going to be advisor too." He let go of the advisor's head and it quickly dropped to the ground from where it was.

"We were going to retire together after all."

Here, he started to execute the words toward his advisor.

"Lie down for me. On your back, now!"

Natori did as what he'd been told. From his position of a very deep bow, it quickly changed to a lying position. Flat on the floor, he tried to look at the king. He was heavily curious what the longhaired feline was going to do next.

"Okay, now raise your back a little. I wouldn't want you to miss every bit of action that _I'm_ going to do to you."

It was getting very suggestive but Natori did it anyway and was now in a semi-sitting position.

"Would you like to take off those glasses of yours or shall I do it for you?"

It's already evident what was going to take place yet he remained to not question these commands nor had he the courage in doing it for he may get to receive another tongue lashing from the king. Without further ado, he removed them.

"_Purr_fect... wouldn't wanna get those dirty," The Cat King was now feeling assertive and before he could do what he was about to do, he was going to disclose what all was that for. "The motion carries. Your punishment begins..."

This is where we leave these two. For now—

ooOoo

It however solved the mystery why it took an hour for Natori and the Cat King to finally arrive at the party. Prior to that, there were "minor" events that have left a bit of impression.

Natoru was peeking through the half-closed door but quickly came down after hearing of the king about to proceed punishing Natori and seeing the commands he was put through before it. As he quickly did, he felt his heart beating, merely from so much running. Besides that, he had a faded blush on his face.

The newly wedded Prince Lune and Yuki were somewhere sitting. Lune saw the floppy eared panting feline near the stairs. The prince was getting impatient but he stayed in composure. He approached Natoru quickly to ask him a question. Obvious what he's going to ask about, yes?

"What news have you of my father's delay?" He stood tall to the stout, still blushing cat.

"Well...?" Natoru wasn't sure what to answer and just scratched the back of his head.

But before he could think of anything to say—which was probably going to be a lie—from the stairs that he went down from, a loud meow echoed which traveled to the ball room. As cats that obviously have a good sense of hearing, it was heard ever so clearly. A louder harsher one seemed to have accompanied it.

"Natoru, what's happening up there?" Another question he asked to Natoru "I think you know something..."

His expression right now would be represented of him having a large sweatdrop on the side of his head. He felt the prince getting really suspicious which made him anxious so.

"Your Majesty, I promise you, er...I'm just as curious as you are." Stuttering was the least of his problems. Lying wasn't really his best job. "They could be... intruders! Or assassins! Or Ninjas!"

"Oh _really_?" It's either Lune was being sarcastic or it's simply his normal speaking voice. Little was known if he'd ever raise his voice at all. "Should I send some of the guards up there?"

"NO! I-I-I mean, I-I shall check on them- I mean, _it!_...again!" He had something to hide and he did not want anybody to see what he has seen. It cannot be unseen and he was making sure that nobody shall feel the same way that he felt.

"I don't know..." The meowing from up the floor continued echoing. Some guests were speculating the castle being haunted. "Those 'intruders', you say, do sound dangerous".

"Lune, I'm getting worried of these sounds," Yuki suddenly cuts in as she held on to her husband's shoulders. "Guests kept saying, ghosts and whatever they could think of. I don't want to panic, but what on earth is making that noise?" she asked with a worried voice.

"Do not fear, my love." He brushed his paw against her cheek. "We may be able to find out what, as soon as _Natoru_ here tells us everything since _he_ was the last one to go down from there." His arm held out to where he was ought to be standing.

"Natoru?" She moved her head back and forth. "What do you mean? I don't see him."

"What...?" Lune turned around and he discovered too late that Natoru had in fact disappeared. It's because of that, he did something that nobody of the Cat Kingdom's people could've predicted coming from the prince.

His eyes fixed a hard stare, his fangs clenched, his claws retracted out of his paws, and...

"RAAARRRGGGHHH!" and lastly, he screamed at the top of his lungs all the while his fur was bristling in anger. At last, the universe has proven that nobody in this world was perfect.

This time, the guests were distracted by his scream and the topic of the noise coming from nowhere but up, was forgotten. All were staring at him, especially Yuki who was near him at the time and her paws over her mouth. She was shocked, big time. The prince upon noticing it, shut his mouth closed. Surprised that he did such a thing in public, he grabbed Yuki by the arms and they went back to their seats.

They remain seated with the witnesses still in awe.

Yuki, still shocked, decided not to think much of this and she kept silent.

Lune had not changed emotion and remained surprised.

The subjects' eyes were still at him. No exception to the guards that were supposed to watch the outside of the castle's doors and they too looked at him with the same expression as the guests. Some have still tried not to show too much emotion, particularly for the tuxedo (secret service) cats that must keep a straight face at all times.

Unbeknownst to them—the guards—who have lost their sight to a commotion in the castle, there was a large fat cat with a brown spot on the one side of his face walking outside with a net full of fish that he was dragging. Was it that loud that it can be heard from outside? Anyway, he heard it too and the cat remained looking at where the sound came from.

With a sigh and head shake, he had nothing to say about but just one:

_Just like his father..._ And he continued walked off.

ooOoo

We return to our furry little friend who had lied to the prince to keep the secret of what's happening between the Cat King and Natori.

Upstairs, he was again, went back to the door where he first saw the two in a "bind". The door was still as ajar as ever but he didn't bother to look inside it anymore despite the noise coming from it was still strong. It was finally closed by Natoru, cutting off the meows emitting from the opening made by the two equally aged cats. No one shall hear it now.

He made a deep, heavy sigh of relief. It was over at last. He leaned against the wall, reminding himself that everything was going to be okay, now.

But it all changed quickly after he remembered another certain noise that, this time, came from down the stairs. His eyes opened up wide and he started to bite his nails while his teeth chatter around them.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!"

Suddenly he was panicking as he spun around the floors uncontrollably. This would be another thing that nobody would expect from a usually jolly character in a royal family's servant.

"Prince Lune...screamed?" That one act seemed to be starting an issue.

"I'll be in big, big trouble if I go down there now," he said to himself, still jumpy and shaky. "And if I do, am I going to be-" he gasped for air, "-punished?"

That's when he started to think about it. Should he go down or stay up here? He paced the floors, thinking about what to choose. There were imaginary dots flashing over his head.

After some minutes of thinking, it was finally decided that he should just go down and face the music if the Prince was planning anything to scold him whatsoever.

Reluctantly, he went down to the party that was once again, in full swing. For some reason, everybody just dropped off what just happened and they all went on with dancing, chatting, eating, etc. Also, the guards have returned to their posts.

"Well, here goes nothing..." He said to himself and a hesitant smile formed on his face.

Finally there again, he slowly walked beside the prince and his bride. More specifically on the prince's side. Carefully, he made his way and he tried not showing any signs of fear that would look very noticeable. He had the feeling that the prince's anger towards him hasn't been doused yet.

In fact, Lune had no ill will against the brown servant. He wasn't the kind of cat to hold a grudge but he was still very displeased with Natoru's insubordination.

The two ignored each other for quite some time.

ooOoo

Back in the room, where the supposed punishment has taken place, there was currently nothing much going on anymore. Worth that it must be ignored for the sake of respecting their privacy. It might have been a far too vivid sight. Lune would've regretted it if he had seen all of it himself.

The Cat King was sitting on the floor with his mustache wiggling a bit. He was breathing deeply and his eyes felt heavy.

Natori was also on the floor but in a fetal position and shivering. His rear legs were closed tightly, pressing something inbetween them.

They were both tired. It felt like they've been lying around all day though it's really just about almost an hour. The feeling was indescribable and they could only show it through their indicative positions. It would either be mixed feelings of pain and comfort or plain fatigue. Nevertheless, both were going through an afterglow.

Natori slowly crawled to the Cat King. He reached to pull one of the monarch's long hairs.

"...Your Majesty?" his voice creaked, still sounding weakly.

"Hm?" He looked down at him where the other cat was tugging on his legs.

"I feel.._so tired_..._too tired._"

"We just did it, twice." The king fondled the cat on his old exhausted head. "What do you expect?"

"I just didn't expect that I'd feel this worn out." Natori, still as worn out as he said, climbed to the king's side. "Am I... going to die?" It could be said that that was just a naïve question that shouldn't be taken too seriously. Though, it sounded like an honest question, it's unidentified whether it's a joke or not.

"Don't insult me, I'm feeling the same way." He pulled Natori closer to him for warmth. "We'll be okay. We're just really, really, really...really tired."

Curiosity killed no cat here. Natori had never felt anything like that. It wasn't his first time doing it but the fact that he had to suffer it _twice_ on the same day was much unanticipated. He was leaning against the Cat King and was in the verge of falling asleep beside his body.

The Cat King felt the head pressuring on his shoulders.

"What? Now you need a catnap?"

After the Cat King gazed around the room, he spotted Natori's glasses. They were still on the floor from where the advisor had taken them off. Having had found them, he placed them back on Natori's face.

"That's better."

Natori's eyes were flickering. The punishment took a toll on his energy and so tired he was, by now he would've drifted off to a deep snooze.

"I guess I'll be going to the party alone then?" A question he had asked to him.

But Natori did not answer. Unfortunately, he wasn't awake anymore.

He sighed. "...You deserve a little rest." Poignant but understanding, he did not try to awaken him.

The Cat King, in an act of admiration, stood up and carried the sleeping feline to his bed which was to a basket of soft pillows and thick blankets. Despite tiredness still visible from his face, he carried on walking with Natori in his arms until he can put him in the bed which he finally did.

Silence filled the room. The dark was still concealing everything because of the curtains but the king decided to take them down to light up the room for Natori. He'd like for him to wake up to a beautiful day yet midnight had struck by now on Earth.

He looked at him for a while. He was near at the door of the bedroom and he had already opened it half-through so he can exit. There was a smile on his face as he escorted himself out.

"Hmm...Thanks a lot, babe..."

The door made a soft bang as he exited.

ooOoo

Still, Lune and the prince have not spoken. That is, until...

"Well, what happened?" Lune asked Natoru.

Apparently, the feline felt that he mustn't say anything about what he saw. He kept his mouth shut, therefore. He was feeling guilty at this point because he already left the Prince out of turn and that was a very rude gesture, especially if done in front of someone considered higher than anyone else.

Who knew an hour passed by since the advisor went to talk to the king?

The Cat King was first to make his grand entrance and then Natori came second who just slowly paced to the entrance while fixing himself up, still a bit ruffled from events that took place approximately 62 minutes ago.

Natoru was standing in front of the advisor all of a sudden, with a devious look on his face and paws behind his back. Natori _so_ knew what he just saw. Before he could drop a sweat of nervousness, Natoru just said, "Want some cake?" He held out a plate to him.

"Um, sure..." From Natoru's paws he took the plate, and then sniffed it. Possibly, to find out what flavor it was. He picked up some icing on the cake with his nail and tasted it.

"Creamy... Thank you."

"You're welcome!" he replied. "But I think I can tell that you've had better."

"Much better, Natoru. _Much _better... Wait, what am I saying?"

And the party went on all through the live long day.

**-Finis-**

ooOoo

What do you think? Please review and whatnot. I'm supposed to be studying now while I was writing this so I have to get myself in trouble so I can finish it. Make it worth the effort. Also, I've actually finished this story _many weeks ago _way before I decided to upload this story. This shows how goddamn reluctant I can get.

Also, I've hinted a cameo here. Guess who it is.


End file.
